Sifter.



J. E. TRICE.

SIFTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30,1911.

1,260,098. PatentPd Mar. 19, 1918.

' 'ammim'emmmn I .I 15W a INVEIYTOH Zwld/uun JET 4 TTORNEYS ti*jnirrajn TATES PATENT ornion.

JERENA E. TRICE, OF WICHI'IA, KANSAS.

Application filed June 30, 1917.

To all 10 7mm it may, concern:

Be it known that l, Jnnmca 'lmcu, a. citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wichita, in the county of Sedgwicl; and State of Kansas, have invented a .i'iew and Improved Sifter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to flour sitters. An object thereof is to provide a simple and in expensive sectional sitter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sectional sitter having removable screens and stirrers.

With the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will more fully appear as*- the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of the application, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a sitter embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the sitter, a portion of the brim being broken away to show the details of engagement of the stay with the container;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a removable stirrer;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on line 44, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through a Sifter of a modified construction.

Referring to the drawings, 6 is the container, which has an inwardly-directed flange 7 at the bottom thereof whereby a bottom aperture 8 is formed in the container of a diameter smaller than the interior diameter of the container. This flange 7 forms an abutment or support for a ring 9 of corrugated material. To the top of the ring 9 a screen 10 is secured so that said screen has a substantial support at the margin. due to the corrugations in the ring. The ring 9 is made of. two metal bands, the inner corrugated and the outer one plane, between which the screen is secured, whereby uniform support and tension for the entire screen is obtained. The container 6 has a. ridge 11 extending longitudinally of the container from the flange 7. The ring 9 has a depression or notch 12 which engages the ridge, and whereby the ring with the SIFTER.

'latented Mar. 19, 1918.

Serial No. 177,927.

screen is prevented from turning in the container.

A flat stirrer l3 rests on the screen 1.0. it has a raised central. portion i l which has an angular aperture 15. An extension 16 of a shaft 17 extends through the angular aperture 15 of the stirrer past an aperture in the screen 10. This extension has a cross section similar to the cross section of the aperture in the stirrer. On the other hand. the aperture in the screen is larger; therefore, the stirrer will rotate with the shaft, While the extension is free to turn in the apertuw of the screen.

The screen 10 with the ring supports a similar screen 10 with a similar ring 9. similarly engaged with the rod 11. The height of the central raised portion 14; ot the stirrer 13 is such that the washer 18 on the lower face of the screen will contact or bear slightly on said central raised portion 14: when the corrugated ring 9 of the sec ond screen rests on the lower screen 10. Each screen has an upper and a lower washer 18 to reinforce the central part oi the screen wherein an aperture is formed for the extension 16. The second screen also supports a stirrer 13 which engages the ex tension 16 in a. manner similar to the pre viously mentioned stirrer, but it is engaged by the extension so as to be at right angles to the next stirrer. Over the second stirrer there is another screen. and corrugated rin and over this screen there is another stirrer. The number of such screens and corrugated rings may be varied in accordance with the number of compartments it is desired to have in a sitter, care being taken that the successive stirrers are disposed at right angles to one another. The uppermost stirrer 1s preferably rigidly secured to the shaft 17, and the projecting end of the extension 16 carries a suitable pin 19, whereby all the screens and stirrers are interlocked on the extension.

The shaft 17 is supported at the top of the container 6 by a stay 20 which is shaped of wire, and for the end of which the container has outwardly-directed depressions 21. The ends of the wire stay 20 are bent at right angles to increase the bearing surface for said stay in the container. The stay forms a central 100 for the shaft 17 through which said sha t projects to form a crank 22 on which a handle 23 is provided for facilitating the manipulation of the shaft. The container (3 has also a handle 23 for facilitating the manipulation of the container. The shaft has a collar 24 above the loop of the stay and a pin 24' be low to prevent any longitudinal movement of the shaft with the screens and stirrers when flour is sifted thcrcthrough. The stay being formed of Wire can be easily fitted into and out of the container and, there fore, the removal of the sitter and screens from the container can be made easily and quickly and, consequently, the cleaning of the Sifter easily accomplished. and the same maintained sanitary. Furthermore, this yieldim stay eliminates shocks during the sifting of the flour, as any great resistance that may be offered by the flour to the sitters will cause the stay to slightly yield and pass over the obstacle. The stirrers being flat they may be rotated in either direction With the same effect.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 5, the screens are shown applied to a tapering container 25. In this structure the stirrers have central sockets 26 which form spacers for the central parts of the screens and which are provided With corrugated rings in a manner as previously described. In this arrangement the lower Sifter has an abutting socket for the angular extension of the shaft 16. In consequence the upper screens and Sifters can be removed and only the lowermost used.

While I have described the principle of operation, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made as are within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In. a sitter of the class described, a plurality of superimposing screens, rings of corrugated material supporting said screens at the margin thereof in spaced super-imposing relation, a stirrer on each of the screens, and means for actuating said stirrers.

2. In a sitter of the class described, a container open at both ends, an inwardlydirected flange at the lower end, a plurality of screens each having on the margin of the lower face thereof a ring, the inner part of which is of corrugated material whereby said screens are spaced from each other and from the flange, a stirrer on each screen, a shaft engaging said stirrers to revolve therewith, a ridge on the inner surface of the container, said rings of the screens having a notch in the outer parts of said rings for engaging the ridge whereby the same are prevented from turning with the shaft and stirrers, and a stay for said shaft near the top of the container, said stay having means for detachably engaging the container at the top.

JERENA E. TRICE.

Oopleu of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of l'atents,

Washington, D. O." 

